League is focused on making new Thursday night games work this season

Atlanta – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday said he anticipates the league will expand its playoff format for the 2015 season.

“I do believe it will be approved for 2015,” Goodell said from the league’s spring meetings. “It will create more excitement, more playoff races.

“I think there’s a lot of benefits to the players. Revenue, obviously, will increase and they share in that.”

Goodell said the expansion would not take place this season because the league already is infusing Thursday night games throughout the season, and wanted to gauge how the league will adapt to that infusion.

The commissioner also said that the league is entertaining whether to change the date and location of the NFL Draft. This year, the draft was held on May 8-10 in New York, two weeks after it traditionally had been held.

“We think the draft has a great deal more potential to grow,” Goodell said.